Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2010-11: Nikita Zadorov skated for the CSKA-Moscow U16 and U17 teams and played for Russia in the U16 Four Nationals tournament. In 45 games he scored 5 goals with 22 assists and had 62 penalty minutes. In five games in the Russian (U17) championship he had 2 assists and was plus-four with 4 penalty minutes.

2011-12: Zadorov played for CSKA-Red Army in Russia’s MHL (U22 minor league) as a 16-year-old and represented Russia in the U17 World Hockey Challenge and 2012 U18 World Junior Championship. He scored 2 goals with 4 assists and was plus-20 with 63 penalty minutes in 41 regular season games and in eight playoff games was plus-two with 8 penalty minutes. He skated in six games at the WHC and had 3 assists with 12 penalty minutes. In six games at the U18 WJC he scored 2 goals and was plus-four. Zadorov was selected by the London Knights (OHL) in the 1st Round (ninth overall) in the 2012 CHL Import Draft.

2012-13: Zadorov was one of the top defenseman for a London Knights team that finished with the Ontario Hockey League’s best record. In 63 regular season games he was plus-33 and scored 6 goals with 19 assists; amassing 54 penalty minutes. Zadorov was a candidate for Russia’s U20 team but was not selected for the team that competed in Ufa. He was ranked 30th among North American skaters in Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings prior to the 2013 NHL Draft, and 22nd in the CSS final rankings.

Talent Analysis

Zadorov is the not-so-gentle giant on the Knights’ blueline. He’s a personable kid off the ice, but certainly one that you wouldn’t want to mess with on it. Zadorov had an up-and-down year with the Knights this season as he seemed to be searching for an identity.

At 6’5 and over 230 pounds, the Moscow-born Zadorov has the physicality to dominate. And, at times, his zeal to lay out his opponents with the big hit can take him out of the play. But as the year progressed, Zadorov learned to reign in his physicality and became a much more effective stay-at-home blueliner.

He has a solid shot, but doesn’t project as a number-one blueliner. However, he should fit very nicely on a top pairing as the defensively responsible, crease-clearer for whom so many teams are looking.

Future

Zadorov is not expected to play in the NHL this year though a good camp may force the Sabres to think twice. Instead, Zadorov will most likely return to the London Knights to further acclimate himself to the North American game. He is still scratching the surface of what he can do, especially offensively.

The Spring edition of the Hockey's Future ranking of the Top 50 NHL prospects continues with the prospects ranked 11-20. This particular section of the rankings features a bevy of talented defensemen, led by Darnell Nurse and Griffin Reinhart.

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Photo: Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (55) remains is the top prospect for the Buffalo Sabres. Ristolainen has split the 2013-14 season between the NHL and AHL. (courtesy of Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

With over 40 prospects currently in their system, and at least 10 picks in the first two rounds of the 2014 and 2015 NHL Drafts, the Buffalo Sabres are aggressively re-building. Two players graduate from the fall Top 20 rankings – former University of Maine standout Brian Flynn is now a fixture with the big club and winger Corey Tropp is now a Columbus Blue Jacket after being waived in November.

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Photo: London Knights defenseman and Buffalo Sabres prospect Nikita Zadorov didn’t look out of place during seven NHL games played in the early portion of the 2013-14 season, but returned to the Knights following the 2014 World Junior Championship (courtesy of Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

The OHL has long been known for its ability to pump out marquee offensive talent, but don’t sell the league short on the blueline. This year’s elite draft-eligible defensemen, like Aaron Ekblad and Roland McKeown, have a number of role models within the league whose path they can follow to the draft podium and beyond.

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Photo: Team Russia forward Pavel Buchnevich celebrates his clinching goal in the 2014 WJC quarterfinal match vs. Team USA, a game won by the Russians, 5-3 (courtesy of ANDREAS HILLERGREN/AFP/Getty Images)

For the second year in a row, Team Russia came back home from the World Junior Championship with a bronze medal, once again beating Canada to earn that medal. If this can’t be considered a disaster, it cannot be considered a great success, either.

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Photo: Team Russia players Nikita Zadorov (L) and Anton Slepyshev celebrate Zadorov’s go-ahead goal in their country’s 5-3 win over the USA at the 2014 World Junior Championship (courtesy of ANDREAS HILLERGREN/AFP/Getty Images)

After falling behind Team USA 3-2 in the first period of their quarterfinal match at the 2014 World Junior Championship, Russia proceeded to score the next three goals in the game to secure a 5-3 win along with a trip to the semi-finals.